Your 100!
by ClarkeBlake
Summary: Post 1x11, when the Ark breaks apart, Tesla Station is thrown far off course, leaving only four survivors. Follow Brin, Zach, Maddie, and Sam as they navigate the world of The 100 in a whole new way!
1. The Rules

Hi, The 100 fandom!

Recently I was sent a prompt from WittyRaspberry22 to write a "Submit Your Own Character Story". For those of you who aren't familiar with it, a SYOC story takes place in the realm of The 100, but it only follows the characters that YOU create, not the actual characters from the show!

This story will be about four characters (your characters) who are the only survivors of Tesla Station after the Ark split apart and crashed down to the Earth. Tesla station was thrown way off course, no where near the other Ark Stations, so these four characters have to figure out how to survive on their own, together.

The rules are simple:

1\. You must fill out the form below completely and PM it to me only. I will not accept any characters posted in the reviews section.

2\. I'm only accepting one character submission per person at this time.

3\. Be creative! Props to anyone who names their characters after famous Sci Fi writers (This is how Kass Morgan came up with Bellamy, Clarke, and Wells). The more unique you are, the better chance I will choose to write about your character.

4\. They can know about or have past relationships with canon characters, but the odds are their paths will not cross so keep that in mind.

This is a story for YOU! Do you want to see how you'd fare in The 100 universe? Then base your character off of yourself! The possibilities are endless and I'm anxious to see what you all come up with!

I will notify the people whose characters I've chosen on October 27, 2015 before beginning the story. All of the selected will be credited at the beginning of chapter two!

 **The deadline to submit a characters is October 26, 2015 at 11:59pm!**

Fill out the form below and send it to me as soon as possible.

Full name:

Nicknames: (optional)

Gender:

Sexual Orientation:

Age:

Previous Occupation: (If any)

Appearance: (Be detailed)

Height:

Body type:

Celebrity lookalike (Very important):

Personality: (DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS)

Skills and talents that would be useful on the ground:

Background and childhood: (Did they grow up well? What was there education like? Anything else significant?)

Family:

Fears:

Insecurities and flaws:

How did they survive the crash:

Relationship Status:

Open to romance?:

Anything else you'd like to add:

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas please don't hesitate to PM me! I can't wait to see what you all come up with and write this story for you!


	2. The Winners

Hi everyone! Sorry I didn't post the results yesterday, work was crazy busy, BUT we have decided on our four characters.

It was such a difficult decision, and I'm not just saying that. We received so many incredible submissions that my beta (WittyRasberry22) and I went back and forth for hours over it! Eventually we had to choose the characters by whose stories, personalities, etc meshed the best together. We really appreciate all of the submissions we received.

I want to thank everyone who submitted a character, because I know how much time it must have taken. I was blown away by how many people submitted characters. I truly am grateful from the bottom of my heart and I hope you tune in to this story because who knows, maybe your characters will appear later on in the story!

Without further adieu, here are the four characters that we have chosen.

 **Brin Clarissa Mason**

Created by: **WaffleManiac**

 **Isaac (Zach) Ellison**

Created by: **gleegurl100**

 **Madeleine (Maddie) Winsworth**

Created by: **TVD123**

 **Samuel (Sam) Bradbury**

Created by: **Its just me Lee**

You can see their character profiles on our tumblr page

Your 100 Story. tumblr .com

(no spaces)

This page will be run by my beta (but I will go on it as well) so that we can answer your questions better, post updates, and post photosets for this story so I highly recommend checking it out!

Chapter one will be up early next week at the latest (I've already started it!) and I can't wait for you all to see what we have in store!

With love,

 _ClarkeBlake_


	3. Chapter 1

Just one look at the chancellor and she knew, it really was over this time. She didn't want to believe it, they'd already survived so much. But the truth was, they were dying, and nothing was going to save them this time.

She didn't cry as he said it out loud, and neither did anyone else in the crowd surrounding the council's table. The room was calm, quiet, and there was a gentle energy among them. No one was upset, or furious, those stages of grief had already come and gone, now they were only left with acceptance. That was, everyone but Brin's mother.

"What do we do now?" A woman asked, her voice shaky as she spoke. Brin's head perked up at the sudden sound and her eyes instantly were drawn to the chancellor. The thoughts about her mother vanished from her brain as quickly as they came, and her full attention reverted to the scene in front of her. A small smile played on the chancellor's lips, a smile meant to comfort them, before he replied to the woman.

"Look inside, find your peace." He whispered. Brin took a step back, his words echoing in her head, haunting her. She thought about her mother again. They only had fifty-one hours before they died and she still hadn't fixed things with her mom. How could she die in peace if she still had so many questions and so many problems that needed resolved?

Her mother was standing next to her, her hands at her sides, anxiously shaking in her boots. Her relationship with her mother had been rocky ever since her father died of illness six years prior. In order to cope with the loss, her mother, Stephanie, used her grief to drive her work. She began taking up more hours in engineering, then she started to bring her work home, and ever since then all she cares about is her job. The distance between them was growing larger and larger and Brin couldn't bare the thought of dying without knowing that her mother still loves her.

The memories were getting too strong for her to handle and the reality was too much to bear. She reached for her mother's hand, hoping to find some sort of comfort through all of this, but when she touched her, Stephanie immediately pulled her hand away, leaving Brin empty.

Brin awkwardly scratched her arm and tried to blink back the tears as her step-father, Hans, and her step-brother, Caleb snickered in the background.

"In the meantime, I'm releasing all available resources to the surviving citizens of the Ark. There will be no more rationing, what we have belongs to all of us." The chancellor concluded. When he adjourned the meeting,

"Mom wait!" She called down the hallway.

"Not now Brin!" She called back. Brin shook her head and ran even faster.

"Mom please, stop!" Brin called, her voice shaking. She'd been trying to stay strong, but with every passing minute leading to the end of her life, it was impossible.

"Give it a rest, Mason." Caleb spat, elbowing her in the arm as he and Hans passed by. She shook her head. Caleb had been calling her by her last name, her father's last name for years. He tried to use it as an insult, as a way to make her feel like she wasn't part of the new family. Hans and Caleb couldn't stand her because she knew about the affair and suspected Hans playing a part in her father's death.

She'd learned to ignore them years ago, if she just let it go then they couldn't hurt her. It was her last two days of life and she wasn't going to spend it worrying about Hans's shady behavior or Caleb's horrible attitude. She was going to spend it with her mom.

They arrived back at their home a short while later and Stephanie was quick to open the door. Hans kissed her goodbye and lead Caleb towards the rations distribution center. She wasn't surprised that they would want to spend their last days getting wasted and taking what shouldn't belong to them.

"Mom can we talk?" Brin asked, quietly closing the door behind her. The words hung in the room as Stephanie pulled out her laptop and started to type away.

Brin slowly walked across the room, observing her mother obsessively trying to get all of her unfinished work done before time ran out.

"Brin! I have a lot of work to do!" Stephanie screamed, not even lifting her eyes from the computer screen. Her hands started to shake as she struggled to continue typing.

"Mom, please." Brin begged, gently resting her hand on her mother's. Stephanie froze, tears forming in her green eyes.

"Go away." Her mom stuttered. Brin released her mother, feeling a lump in her throat.

"Mom, I can't die with our relationship like this." Brin persisted.

"We're going to be fine. They will figure something out and if I stop my work now I'll be so behind-"

"MOM! It's over! We're dead, we are going to be dead just like dad!" Brin screamed, regretting the words the moment they slipped from her pink lips.

"GET OUT!" Stephanie screamed with fire in her eyes, scaring Brin. She slammed her laptop shut stormed towards Brin until Brin's back was against the door. Brin shook, terrified of what her mother might do or say.

"Mom, please don't do this. Ever since dad died all you've done is shut me out. Let me back in, accept our fate and let's enjoy our last days together." Brin begged. For a moment, it seemed like Stefanie was finally getting it, but the moment was short lived. Hans and Caleb burst through the door, throwing Brin against the wall and causing Stephanie to jump back.

"We took as much as we could!" Hans said, dropping the bags of goods from the distribution center to lift Stefanie into the air.

Caleb placed all of his bags in Brin's arms and winked before joining the rest of the family at the table.

"Carry your own damn bags." Brin said, following Caleb and dropping them dramatically at his feet.

"Really Mason? Can't do something useful for once?" Caleb argued. Brin stood on her toes so that she could look him in the eyes.

"At least I'm not a useless dick, Dell." She retorted, before pushing him out of her way with her shoulder. Caleb scoffed, picking up the bags from the floor and unloading them on the table.

"This is great! When they get everything working again we will have more than we need. Thanks baby." Stephanie said to Hans, kissing him on the lips. Brin looked away, disgusted by the exchange. Hans smirked into the kiss, side eyeing Brin before pulling away.

"Rumor has it Sinclair is running schematics to see if the Ark can make it to the ground." Hans revealed.

Brin blinked, "But we don't have a drop ship-"

"Don't need one, Mason." Caleb chimed in as he ate some fruit.

Brin rolled her eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"They want to bring the whole Ark to the ground." Hans said, picking Stephanie up and spinning her around.

"This is great! See honey, I told you we would be fine!" Stephanie said to Brin.

"This is insane, mom. Even if the Ark can be used as a drop ship, the odds of survival are so scarce. The ark wasn't made to be used as a means of going to the ground. We're likely to burn up in the atmosphere and I'm pretty sure that's worse than suffocation." Brin panicked.

"We're on Alpha station. It's the most likely to survive." Hans replied, just increasing her mother's excitement.

"But-"

"Brin, why don't you go for a walk, shake off the negative energy. We can talk about this more when you get back" Hans suggested. Brin glanced around the room at her 'family' and shook her head. Maybe she did need some space to think and breathe.

"Fine." Brin snapped before storming out of the door. If what Hans was saying was true, she could be going to the ground, and she didn't know what to do with that information.

* * *

Maddie watched as her mother worked to make the sick comfortable during their final hours. The clinic had been flooded with people suffering from oxygen deprivation, but most of the sick had gone home to die with their families, leaving only the bedridden in the clinic.

Maddie's mom, Sandra, wiped the sweat off of her brow as she worked to help a feverish man on the cot below. Abby Griffin had stepped away a few hours prior to deal with something in the control center, leaving Maddie and her mother alone to tend to the sick.

"Can you pass me the cool towel, Mad mads?" Her mom asked.

Maddie raised her eyebrow as she rang out the towel, "Mad mads? You haven't called me that in years."

Her mom smiled taking the towel, "Yeah well, I'm just trying to remember everything before-"

"We die?" Maddie finished, not afraid to talk about the elephant in the room. She wasn't going to spend her last hours sulking. It was what it was, and she learned that in life sometimes you just have to go with it.

Her mother, on the other hand, wasn't so blunt. Sandra cleared her throat, unsure of how to respond at first.

"Anyways, I think I have things covered here if you want to spend tonight with your friends. It sounds like there's a party going on in the distribution center on Factory Station. Why don't you go check it out?" Sandra suggested. Maddie fidgeted in her baggy scrubs. Parties were never her thing, yeah she loved hanging out with her friends and letting loose, but she wasn't into the party scene. Most of the kids there bothered her, and she couldn't count how many times she snapped at a drunk kid for hitting on her.

"I'd rather spend my time with you, mom." She replied, taking a seat on the stool next to the feverish man.

"Just go for an hour? For me?" Her mom edged her on. Maddie playfully rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Fine, but only for you." She teased. Sandra walked over and pulled her daughter in for a hug before sending her off towards the party. Usually Sandra was a lot more protective of Maddie, but considering the circumstances of an impending death, what was the worst that could happen?

Maddie followed the sound of thumping music to the party at the distribution center. Everything was ten times more extravagant than she'd ever seen before, and she could barely process everything going on around her.

Alcohol on the ark was usually very expensive, but now the entire liquor storage room had been raided and laid out for all citizens of the ark to enjoy. Maddie danced her way to the drinks and almost immediately found herself doing shots with another group of teenagers.

Two shots of vodka and three beers later, Maddie was completely trashed. Actually, she was trashed after one beer due to her extremely small stature. The party was getting even more insane as the night progressed and before she knew it, she had been there for hours; way longer than she had planned.

Maddie laughed as one of the guys in her group painted her face with glitter. Her blue eyes shimmered as she smiled at him and proceeded to take some of the glitter off of her face and put it on his. He was tall, maybe 6'3" and extremely handsome. He had gorgeous green eyes with specks of brown that could be seen when the party lights hit them just right. She'd recognized him from around the Ark before, but they'd never really interacted until now. She knew he was a guard because she often noticed him patrolling around the medical center, but she never wanted anything to do with him before now. He was trouble, but she was just way too drunk to care, at the moment. That was, until he started to get handsy with her.

"Don't." Maddie said, removing his hands from around her waist. He was just as smashed as she was, which just made the situation messier.

"I thought we were getting along!" He slurred, barely loud enough to hear over the music. Maddie shook her head, her blond hair falling in her face. His drunk attempts at flirting weren't going to work. He was notorious for being a bad boy, a player, and that just wasn't her type.

"Not like that! I've seen you before but I don't even know your name." Maddie said, hiccupping through the words.

"Zach, Zach Ellison." He said, winking. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"I'm Maddie, and I'm not interested." Maddie smirked. Zach backed off, seeming to let it go for a while. He danced his way over to other girls and tried his luck, but eventually he found his way back to a partially conscious Maddie. She was on the brink of blacking out, leaning against the wall for support. Eventually, she couldn't hold herself up any longer and stumbled into him.

"Hey Blondie, You change your mind?" Zach asked, reaching for her waist again. She didn't have the energy to tell him off again, and she was starting not to care. He was a harmless flirt who'd had way too much to drink, just like her.

"Get off of her right now." A voice demanded from behind her. She recognized it from somewhere but she couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was from. Her eyes were getting heavy and she didn't know how much longer she could stay awake.

"Sam Bradbury swooping in to steal the girl." Zach joked. Sam was tense as he reached for Maddie and pulled her out of Zach's grasp. Maddie blinked several times, her vision very fuzzy.

"You know it's not like that." Sam snapped, relaxing his grip on the small girl. Maddie fell out of his arms and into a group of girls who were standing nearby to witness the argument.

"Does she?" Zach replied, inching closer to Sam. Sam began to shake out of anger, but tried desperately to hold it in, and that was when Maddie blacked out.

"Don't say it, Isaac." Sam snapped, not noticing that Maddie had fallen unconscious in the arms of a random girl. Zach's fist clenched at the sound of his real name. He was named after his asshole of a father, and started to go by Zach as a way of forgetting his father ever existed. Zach and Sam had known each other since they were kids and knew how to push each other's buttons. They both grew up on the poor side of the Ark, and when Sam got into trouble, Zach was usually attached to it somehow.

"Say what? That she's your half sister? That your dad knocked up and left two different women before taking the Exodus ship? I think she has a right to know." Zach revealed, but when Sam glanced back to gage Maddie's reaction, he realized that she had passed out. He instantly ran to her, holding her in his arms.

"You know why she can't know that." Sam seethed, brushing Maddie's blonde hair out of her face. She was much paler than usual, and definitely needed to get out of here, but Zach didn't seem to want to let them leave without a fight.

Zach chuckled, "Yeah well, doesn't she have a right to know? I mean we are dying in a matter of hours."

Sam glanced down at his little sister and sighed. She had no idea he even existed. She didn't remember him and that was the deal. Maddie's mother had done him a favor; she took care of him after his mother died and his father left him. She would visit him in the child care center and bring him toys, sing him lullabies, and even cook him meals. She used to bring Maddie too, but once Sam got a little older, he started to get into trouble, and eventually almost got himself arrested. That was when Sandra pulled the plug. She agreed to continue to help him get by, but forbid him from ever interacting with Maddie again. He'd obeyed her, but he always watched over Maddie from afar. He wanted to be there to protect her in case anything like this were to happen. Although Maddie's mother rule was clear, he couldn't resist his protective big brother instinct this time.

"Well Bradbury? You ever gonna tell her?" Zach pressed on. Sam handed Maddie back over to the girl and stood up, reaching past the group of teenagers praising Zach and grabbed a bottle of vodka, taking a shot straight out of the bottle before rushing at Zach and clocking him in the cheek. Zach hunched over, holding the side of his face where Sam had made the blow. Sam's hand shook at his side as it was still clenched in a fist from punching Zach. Flashbacks of his childhood, his father standing over him, fists clenched from punching Sam and his mother, while Sam coughed up blood, consumed him. Was he turning into his father?

Zach shook his head and spit out some blood from his mouth before standing up and cracking his neck. Sam backed up, knowing he'd made a mistake picking a fight with a drunk Zach.

"Screw you, Bradbury." Zach snarked, reaching his arm up to punch Sam. Sam closed his eyes to prepare for the blow that never came. Instead, all of the lights came on and a group of guards and councillors entered the room.

Major Byrne stood in the center of the crowd, glaring at the boys who were about to fight. Zach let his arm fall back to his side and closed his eyes at the brightness from the lights.

"As you are all aware, the ark is dying. But, thanks to the council, we've found a way to bring the ark to the ground. In order to make the drop window to land near the hundred, we need to launch within the next few hours. Everyone is to report back to their home stations immediately and prepare for launch. All members of the guard are back on duty and need to report to me as soon as possible for further instruction. We're going to the ground or we are going to die trying." She said. Everyone cheered, running in tons of different directions. Sam grabbed Maddie and carried her towards her house while Major Byrne stopped Zach from leaving.

"Yes ma'am?" Zach asked.

"We need you to go to Earth on Tesla Station, not with your home on Factory Station. Although this plan will work, some of the stations will blow up in the atmosphere. We have to spread the guards and council members among all of the stations and since well, you don't really have a family. We figured you wouldn't mind switching stations." She said. Zach nodded, respecting her orders.

"Report to the entrance of Tesla Station, and I hope to see you on the ground."

Zach smiled, the ground, he was going to the ground.

Sam rushed past the crowds in the hallways trying to find their seats for the launch. He had to get Maddie back to Sandra and wake her up as soon as possible.

It felt like ages before he reached their home. Sandra ushered him inside quickly and helped him lay Maddie out on the small couch.

"What the hell happened?" Sandra asked.

Sam paced back and forth, so many different thoughts racing through his head, "She blacked out, drank too much. I just took her here, that was it. She still doesn't know."

Sandra stood up to meet Sam at the other side of the room. She rested her hands on his shoulders before pulling him in for a hug.

"Thank you." She whispered. Sam relaxed in her grasp before pulling away. Maddie was in good hands now and his job was done, so he started to head for the door when Sandra stopped him.

"Sit by us on the way to Earth." Sandra said, a sweet smile on her face. Sam nodded, a smile playing on his lips as well. Even though Maddie didn't know it, she was his only family and he loved her more than anything in the universe.

"There's no place I'd rather be." Sam said, taking Sandra's hand. It would take some time for Maddie to wake up, but Sandra assured him that she would be fine, just a little hung over. Sam made himself comfortable on the floor next to where Maddie lay until the guards came to their door and escorted them to the main room on Tesla station.

Brin was deep in the halls of Tesla station when the announcement about taking the ark to the ground was announced over the intercom. The crowd around her instantly went wild, making it nearly impossible for her to push her way towards Alpha station. She had to get home and find her mother. Although she knew this was coming, Hans made it seem like it wasn't going to be announced for a few more hours.

When Brin reached the glass doors to Alpha station, her heart sank. The doors were already locked and prepped for launch. She tried not to cry as she saw her mother on the other side of the door. She was with Hans and Caleb, speaking to one of the guards.

"MOM!" Brin screamed. Her screams alerted the guards around her who tried to push her back, but she was quicker than them, and made it to the glass doors. She pounded tirelessly on the doors until she caught her mother's attention. Hans and Caleb smirked and waved, making Brin realize, they knew. They knew that she would get locked out of Alpha Station. They knew that she would have to return to Earth on the least stable station of the Ark. She knew that they hated her, but she didn't realize they would ever take it this far.

Brin's mom pushed Hans, screaming at him for what he had done to Brin, but there was no evidence for the guards to do anything about it. It was already too late.

Her mother turned towards the glass doors separating them again, tears welling up in her eyes. All Brin wanted to do was run into her mother's arms and make everything right again between them, but now she'd probably never get the chance. Tesla station was doomed to die, she was doomed to die.

"I love you mom." Brin cried, but her mother couldn't hear. She watched as her mom tried to fight her way past the guards to make it to the doors, but they pulled her away. Her mom looked at her one more time, and with that one look Brin knew that the mother she used to know, the one who loved her and didn't push her away was still inside of her.

"Time to get strapped in." One of the guards said, grabbing her by the arm. Brin shook him off, glared at him, and then headed towards the room where they were strapping them in. She glanced around at the people surrounding her. She didn't know a single soul on this station, all of her friends and family were huddled together on Alpha Station while she was left alone on a station doomed to explode. Maybe it would be a quick death? Painless? She had no clue.

"In peace, may you leave this shore. In love, may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels. May we meet again." The chancellor said.

"May we meet again." Everyone echoed before holding hands with each other. Brin took the hands of two strangers beside her and closed her eyes. It would all be over soon.

The descent was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. She could feel the ship hit the Earth's atmosphere and separate from the other stations like the chancellor said it would. But halfway through the fall, something didn't seem right. A screech rang around them, like nails on a chalkboard, and she knew a huge piece of their station must have broken off. She squeezed the hands of the people beside her until everything went black.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay but chapter one is finally here! Here is the first look into all of the characters and I hope you liked what I'm doing with them so far. If you haven't already, feel free to check out our tumblr page**

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 **Here we will be posting gifsets, photosets, updates, and answering your questions. The site is run by my beta WittyRasberry22.**


	4. Chapter 2

When Zach woke up, he expected to hear screaming, crying, cheering; anything at all but this. Instead, he awoke to silence. His vision was blurry at first, but after a beat he was able to take in his surroundings. Above him, the sky was so blue with several puffy clouds scattered through it. He blinked, taking it all in, when he noticed the smoke rising all around him. His body was sore, very tense, but he actually managed to not be buried under any rubble at all. The same couldn't be said for the rest of Tesla's inhabitants.

Zach sat up, groaning from his piercing headache. Tesla station, couldn't even be recognized as a station anymore. All that was left of it was a gigantic pile of ashes, body parts, and bent metal. He used the little energy he had left to hoist himself onto his feet.

"How the hell am I still alive?" He gasped, his eyes catching several bodies without heads, arms, or faces. Others were simply skeletons; their skin completely melted off during the landing. He wished he knew how he managed to survive, but he'd passed out during the descent.

He honestly wasn't prepared for this at all. He glanced down at his tattered guard uniform and gulped. He'd been trained for years on ground survival and this kind of an emergency, but he'd never been trained to do this on his own. The only thing he knew was that if there were survivors, they needed to be extracted as soon as possible because the rubble was a ticking time bomb. One spark and the whole area would go up in flames.

He twirled in a circle, looking for smoke from other stations but finding none. They must have slingshot way off course, because there couldn't have been another station for at least fifty miles. That was if any other station even made it to the ground. Byrne had said that some of the stations would just burn up.

He glanced back down at the rubble. There could be survivors buried far beneath him, but he wouldn't know unless he tried to get them out. But why should he? What had they ever done for him? On the ark, he learned at a very young age that he was the only person he could count on. No one ever came to his rescue.

* * *

 _"Isaac, eat up please. Your dad will be home soon." Lydia Ellison ordered. Zach gave his mother one of his signature glares that he'd already perfected at the mere age of nine before shovelling the rest of his vegetables into his mouth._

" _I told you I go by Zach now." A young Isaac said defiantly with his mouthful of food. Lydia nodded, forgetting that her son had come up with the new nickname. He'd always hated being named after his father, he wanted to be his own person and this nickname was his way of accomplishing that._

 _Zach swallowed the rest of the vegetables and was just finishing his water when the door handle to started to rattle. His heart sank, and his body tensed, knowing what was about to happen. Lydia quickly ushered Zach to get out of the room. He knew the drill: run to his room, shut the door, and hide under the covers until it was over._

 _He hated this time of the day. His father would burst in the door screaming, his mother would beg for mercy, and many of their belongings would break. He learned to close his eyes and picture happier things. He thought about the book he'd read that day in school. It was about a rabbit jumping over green hills while it tried to find a mouse hiding in the bushes. That worked for a moment, but then the screaming just got too loud to focus on anything else. He covered his ears, rocking back and forth, hoping that it would be over soon this time._

 _Suddenly he heard a loud crash and the sound of a glass shattering. His father's footsteps traveled towards his door until he slammed his mother up against it. Zach had finally had enough._

 _He grabbed a lamp from his bedside table and stormed out into the main room, but he was blown away by the sight before him_

 _His mother was on the ground beside the table hunched over. She was holding her wrist while his father was standing above her yelling at her to pick up the broken pieces of glass all over his floor. She locked eyes with him for a moment, begging him to get back in his room before his father noticed but it was too late. His father saw him with the vase and immediately charged towards him. Zach ran and tried to hide behind the cabinet but it was too late._

 _"What the hell are you doing out here?" His father snapped._

 _Zach scrambled to his feet, attempting to run back into his room but his father lifted him up by the collar of his shirt._

" _Isaac stop it!" Lydia cried out but his father didn't listen._

" _You think you can come after me?" Isaac Sr ,sneered. Zach gulped and closed his eyes, bracing for a blow. Instead, his father set him back down on the floor. Zach clutched the lamp in his hands before reaching up and smashing it over his father's head. Isaac Sr. stumbled backwards, clutching his head._

 _Zach felt a rush of adrenaline, this was the first time he'd ever stood up to anyone. He kicked his leg up, letting his foot land directly in his father's gut._

 _Zach's hands shook as he watched his father regain his composure. There was nowhere for him to go, no where to hide. Lydia screaming for Zach to run into the hall but he wasn't quick enough._

" _You're worthless!" His father screamed, his breath smelling like a mixture of alcohol and smoke. Zach tried not to cry as the beatings persisted, but he couldn't help himself. He really felt worthless. The worst part was, he knew the neighbors could hear them, but no one cared. The last thing he remembered before waking up on the floor the next morning was his father's foot kicking his face. And when he walked into school the next day with bruises and a swollen lip, no one said a word. Because no one had faith in Zach Ellison, and eventually he lost faith in himself._

* * *

Now here he was, standing on top of a station full of people who'd made fun of him, belittled him, and didn't care about him. Although he'd grown up of factory, he had a hatred for all of the Ark.

Zach coughed from the smoke and realized that he needed to make a decision soon, or he'd go up in flames. He glanced around the wreckage one more time before silently deciding it would be best for him to leave.

While he was walking away, a small groan stopped him in his tracks, sending a chill down his spine and making him question the choice he was making. Leaving with _the possibility_ of survivors was easy, leaving _knowing_ there were survivors was a whole different story.

He searched the area for the source of the noise until he found a girl buried under the rubble. Only her head was visible from the surface and she was covered in ashes, but she was so, beautiful. Zach had found many girls attractive in the past, but there was something different about this girl and it actually made him speechless.

She coughed, snapping him out of his trance and her green eyes fluttered open to meet his. They were quiet for a moment, both just observing each other, until she finally was able to speak up.

"You were going to leave." She said faintly, almost inaudible. Her voice was hoarse from the smoke. He couldn't believe that she knew. This girl who he'd only known for mere seconds knew who he really was on the inside.

Zach flinched, "I wasn't, I-"

"Save it, this place is about to blow. Why don't you just go?" She asked, even quieter this time. Zach shook his head, reaching to move a piece of the station from on top of her chest. Now he had to prove her wrong. If his father was still alive he would have ditched everyone. Now Zach was committed to proving them wrong. He'd never admit it, but he was more afraid of being here alone then this place going up in flames.

"No, I'm not leaving you here." He said sternly, struggling to lift another piece off of her.

"Then go save the others. I've got this." She said, attempting to lift her body out of the pile. She screamed, falling back down onto the pile. He could tell that she was trying not to cry out from the pain, but he didn't know what was hurting her.

"There are no others. They're dead." He said, shocking her to her core. He shook his head and decided to change the subject, "Plus, you clearly don't have this. Now stop struggling, I'm going to get you out of here." He said. She nodded, pinching her eyes closed as he continued to dig her out.

"Ahh! Dammit!" She gasped, glaring at him.

"What hurts?" He asked, stopping what he was doing.

"It's my shoulder, and my leg." She mumbled. His eyes traveled over to her shoulder which had a huge gash across it. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before now, but he hadn't been looking at her shoulders, he'd been too preoccupied looking at her big green eyes.

"Try to think of something else." He suggested.

She stifled a laugh, "Like what?"

He glanced around at the trees and shrugged, "I don't know! Look around you! You made it, you're on the ground."

She laughed and he wasn't sure why. Nothing that he said was funny. Maybe she'd lost too much blood?

"I can't see a thing. I lost my glasses during the crash and I can't see anything without them. You just look like a blob of colors." She giggled. Zach shook his head, giggling with her. He was actually giggling.

"And you thought you could get out of this yourself?" He teased. She rolled her eyes and pulled her hands out from underneath the metal to cross them.

"I'd figure it out." She argued.

He smirked, "Sure you would have-"

That was when he realized, he didn't even know her name. But that hadn't been important, saving her was what was so important to him he didn't even hesitate to ask her her name, he just did it. It didn't matter who she was, he just knew he wanted to save her.

"I'm Brin." She said.

"Zach," He replied, reaching into his pocket, "and you're lucky I'm alive."

She chuckled, "Oh really? And why is that?"

Zach reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of Ark contacts. He'd stolen them from the distribution center before he reported to Tesla. His vision was good, but it wasn't as great as most people on the ark, and he figured if they were going to Earth, he wanted to have them. Ark contacts were a permanent solution to eye trouble and one of the most expensive items to trade for, since only two pairs existed. All the person had to do was put them in their eyes, they dissolved and repaired that person's vision.

Although she couldn't really see them, she could tell that that was what he had.

"No way." She gasped. She'd been dreaming of having a pair of ark contacts since she was a little girl, but she'd never have enough ration points to afford them.

"How did you-"

"It doesn't matter. Hold still." He said. He gently rubbed the ashes off of her cheek, revealing her high-pale cheek bones. He blinked and cleared his throat to try and focus on inserting the contacts. She reached up, her tiny hand wrapping around his wrist as he held her head steady in one hand and inserted the contacts with the other. She blinked several times and her eyes waters at the contacts dissolved. He froze, waiting patiently for the result. When her eyes fluttered open again, he didn't even have to ask if they worked. The look on her face said it all.

"Wow!" She gasped, taking in the clear blue sky and the tall green trees. Zach smiled as her eyes eventually locked with his.

"Thank you." She said. He paused, realizing his hands were still resting on her cheeks and her hand was still tightly wrapped around his wrist.

She cleared her throat, pulling away when they heard an explosion off in the distance.

"We need to get you out now." He said, returning to lifting the metal off of her lower body. Brin squeezed her eyes shut as he struggled to lift it.

"Ugh, my leg, Zach." She snapped. He knew she didn't mean to sound snappy, but she was stressed and in a hell of a lot of pain, he understood.

"Just breathe, I've almost got you free." He coached her. Brin nodded, biting her lip until it bled in order to distract herself from the pain. Zach was very strong, but this piece of metal was really wedged. Eventually, Brin realized the issue and shook her head.

"Just go, Zach." She whispered. Another explosion could be heard, but it was closer to them this time and Zach could see the area erupted into flames. He knew he should leave her, normally he would, but there was something about her, he didn't know what it was yet, but he just couldn't leave her.

"No. We are getting out of here together or not at all." He said. Brin's eyes widened, she couldn't believe this was the same guy who was about to just leave the scene without looking back.

"Zach-"

"This is going to hurt you like hell, okay? But just look at me or the trees, whatever helps you and breathe. In and out. You got that?" He said quickly. He tried to ignore the sounds of metal collapsing around them as he braced himself to lift the last piece off of her ankle. He closed his eyes, taking one last deep breath before sliding the metal off of her ankle. Brin screamed out in pain but gasped the moment she was free.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" He said, getting up and extending his hand for her to take. Brin shook her head and attempted to stand up on her own.

"You can't walk, let me help you please." He begged her.

She waved him off, "No, I'm fine."

Zach watched as she somehow managed to stumble onto her feet. They locked eyes for a split second before an explosion erupted behind her, sending her flying into his arms. He didn't even hesitate catching her and throwing her over his shoulder. Immediately he bolted towards the treeline. It was like the explosions were chasing them, propelling him forward with every step. He had no idea if Brin was okay, she was limp in his arms as he ran, but he tried not to think about that.

"I've got you, I promise." He said, even though she probably couldn't hear him. He tightened his grasp around her legs as the last explosion caused him to lose his balance and shoot into the woods. Somehow he'd managed to land on his back using his body as a cushion for Brin's. When he sat up, all he could see was their half of the station on fire. It took him a moment to process what had just happened, or how, before he turned to look at Brin resting on top of him.

"Brin?" He asked, frantically brushing the hair out of her face. Brin was still, and he held his breath waiting for her to respond.

"Brin, you have to wake up." He said, his voice shaking as he held her close to him. He couldn't do this alone, not after everything he'd done to save her. Zach glanced back at the explosion, knowing for sure that no one else could be alive on that side of the station.

"Dammit Zach, I said I could get out of there myself." Brin's voice teased faintly. He looked down to find her beautiful green eyes looking back up at his again. She giggled, rolling off of him to lay on the ground. She was fine, and he couldn't be more relieved.

"We're on the ground." She gasped, looking up at the trees above them.

"Welcome to Earth I guess." Zach laughed, and Brin playfully punched his arm.

Brin was shaping up to be pretty good company and when he looked over at her, he realized he was glad he turned back to save her.

* * *

Sam coughed, smoke filling his lungs instead of oxygen and for a moment he honestly thought he was dying. But to his surprise, the smoke cleared and he was actually able to get his bearings. Maddie lay beside him, completely unharmed from the crash but still unconcious. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her, but it quickly vanished when he turned to his other side and saw Sandra.

"Sandra!" He gasped, rushing to her. She was on the brink of death, barely able to keep her eyes open. He glanced down to see her left arm, almost completely cut off at the wrist, and bit his lip. He wasn't a medic, but he could tell this wasn't good. She was losing so much blood, it was only a matter of time before she died. When he looked closer, he could see a large piece of glass sticking out of her stomach. She was gurgling blood, but when she noticed him, it gave her the strength to push it back and hold on for just a little while longer.

"Samuel…" She whimpered. Tears pricked in his eyes as she was dying before him and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"I'm so sorry, for everything I-"

"Samuel, you have to be there for her now. She's your little sister, you have to get her through this. She has to know that she isn't alone." Sandra said. Samuel shook his head, he didn't want to hear this. Sandra had been there for him his entire life, she was more of a parent to him than his mother or father. He wasn't ready to lose her, he wasn't even sure if he was ready to take on the responsibility of helping Maddie.

* * *

 _The childcare center was empty and dull. The only source of light was the faint lantern at the end of the empty hallway but it didn't do much good. It was so faint that it didn't even reflect on the walls around it._

 _Sam watched as the light flickered just beyond his small bedroom. Sam liked to think that he was just like the corridor. He was empty and almost lifeless sometimes, but their was a light inside of him, burning faintly in the distance. It seemed so far away sometimes, but it was always there, giving him a little bit of hope to get through the day. Even though he was only eight years old, he knew how important it was for him to never lose that light, even in the darkest of days, because even faint lights can guide you out of the darkness._

 _Many days were like this, but he lived for that light. The light inside of him that shimmered on visiting days. There was a young woman who saved his life many years prior who'd come visit him with her daughter once a month. He didn't know why she'd cared enough to save him at the time, but he was just happy to have some sort of family. His mother had been admitted into the mental hospital before she died. This woman though, was like a mother to him._

 _"What do you think Sam? Do you like it?" A young blonde lady asked him as he continued to run his new toy car along the wall of his bedroom._

 _Sam's nod of approval was enough to send the hyper active four year old beside him into a non sugar fueled high._

 _"I knew it. I knew you'd love it. Didn't I say he loved red Momma? I did didn't I! Momma wanted to paint it blue but I said no, that you liked red and you do like red don't you Sammy? It's the color of your blankie so I knew. You like red don't you?" She rambled._

 _"I love red" He replied giving the small girl a smile. He didn't get to pick the color of his blanket, it was given to him when he arrived at the home but he knew not to say that in front of her. He knew it would just to upset the tiny blonde, so he just smiled. He didn't have the heart to upset her, she was too sweet and pure._

 _Their time together flew by, and before he knew it, a middle aged woman poked her head in the door to tell them their time was up._

 _"Sorry miss but visiting hours are almost over" She announced before slamming the door shut._

 _"Momma made me a dolly with red hair, but my dolly couldn't come because she's sleepy. I just operated on her like Momma does to the patients in the clinic! Momma can Sammy come to our house to see dolly?" The little blonde asked while excitedly tugging at Sam's arm._

 _Her mother looked at the two of them and frowned._

 _"No Mad Mads, Sammy has to stay here, but we'll come visit him again soon. We'll bring some more presents next time too!" she replied hastily before standing up and picking up her handbag._

 _"No Momma please!" Maddie begged, her bottom lip wobbling._

 _"No baby, now go hug Sammy and tell him you'll see him soon" Sandra said gently before walking over to Sam and kissing him on the cheek._

 _"We'll come visit soon ok? I'll bring another surprise next time" she whispered in his ear before standing up and lifting the little blonde onto her hip. Maddie bawled as she was pulled away from Sam._

 _Sandra gave Sam one more smile before exiting and letting the door click closed behind her. He could still hear Maddie's tiny sobs as they got further and further away._

 _He crawled into his little bed with his new toy car tucked under his arm. His heart was full, and despite all of the darkness in his life, the prospect of seeing Maddie and Sandra again gave him hope to keep going._

* * *

Sam shook his head, snapping out of the memory. He didn't remember life without Sandra, she'd always been there for him. She'd do anything for him. He glanced around the rest of the station that was nothing but ashes, corpses, and burning bodies and that was when he realized, his survival wasn't luck.

"You knew Maddie and I would be safe where we were sitting, that's why you invited me to sit next to you. You knew you were going to die." He pieced together. There was a hint of anger in his voice, his temper getting the best of him, but when he looked in Sandra's eyes he instantly relaxed.

"There was a man," She coughed, struggling to speak now, "I spent my last hours on the Ark stabilizing his fever. We both knew he was going to die anyway, but Maddie and I still insisted on staying there to help him. When Maddie got up to get a glass of water, he told me about those seats. Before he got sick he worked closely with Sinclair, and he knew that they would try to bring the Ark to the ground. In return for me helping him, he told me how to keep you two safe."

Sam was baffled, but it was all starting to make sense.

"That's why you sent her to the party. You wanted her to get drunk." He gasped.

Sandra chuckled, spitting up a little blood as she did, "It's proven that drunkenness increases a person's odds of surviving an impact crash. Maddie's a very tiny girl, I was afraid that even the seat wouldn't be able to fully protect her. On the other hand, you're strong enough."

Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sandra had done nothing but sacrifice herself for him, and what had he ever done for her? She'd skip meals so she could afford to buy him gifts, she'd put a good word in about him with his teachers so he'd pass his classes, and she even made clothes for him herself out of old scrubs.

"You should have told me your plan-" Sam began.

"You would have sacrificed yourself for me, I wasn't going to let that happen." She whispered, her voice getting weaker now.

"I owe you my life." Sam cried, as she began to slip away.

"You can repay me by looking after Maddie. You weren't ready before, that's why I forbade you from seeing her. Now, you are ready. I love you." She told him. Sam reached over and held her face in his hands.

"Whenever she wakes up, make sure she knows I'll never leave her. I'll be in the songs the birds sing, in the wind that blows back her hair, and in the stars when she falls asleep at night. May we meet again." She whispered. Sam shook as her head fell limp in his hands. Just like that, in an instant, she was gone. He didn't have time to mourn her, explosions off in the distance startled him back into reality. He and Maddie still weren't in the clear yet, he needed to get her out of there before the entire place went up into flames.

Sam let Sandra go so he could pick Maddie out of the rubble and rush her to safety. To his left, a huge chain of explosions were occurring, likely killing any other possible survivors. It was only a matter of time before they were next, so he sprinted to the forest. He could hear Maddie waking up, which only made him run faster.

Eventually, they made it out of the wreckage and into the forest. He gently set Maddie down, laying her back gently against a rock. She groaned and rubbed her eyes as she woke up.

"Ok someone must have slipped some drugs into my drinks because I'm actually hallucinating being on Earth." Maddie groaned, holding her head in her hands. Sam blinked back the tears. He had to be strong for her. Although she didn't remember him, he would always be her big brother.

"There's a lot you've missed, but everything is going to be fine." Sam told her.

Maddie raised her eyebrow at him, "I know you."

Sam's heart stopped, "What?"

Maddie rubbed her temples and mumbled, "You were at the party, you stopped that guy from hitting on me.

Sam bit his lip, unsure of how to handle this situation. He hadn't seen Maddie since he was a child.

"Right, I did, but there are some things you need to know-"

"So we made it to the ground? Where's my mom?" Maddie asked eagerly. Sam watched her eyes twinkle, and he didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. Instead, he gulped, trying to ignore the lump in his throat.

Maddie realized that he couldn't even look at her and she knew.

"No, that's not possible! Where the hell is she?" Maddie demanded, jumping up and running towards the wreckage.

"Maddie stop!" Sam called after her, "It's too dangerous!"

Maddie didn't listen, she had to see it for herself, she couldn't believe that her mother was gone, not this way. She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.

"Mom!" Maddie wailed. Birds scattered from the trees at the sound of her voice. She was so desperate and Sam was afraid she was about to have a full blown panic attack.

"Maddie, shh it's okay come here." Sam begged, reaching out for her arms, but she shook him off.

"MOMMA!" Maddie cried, the desperate little girl returning for a moment. Sam could feel his heart ripping to pieces as Maddie grew more and more frantic. The entire crash site burst into flames, and when Maddie turned around to face Sam again, she collapsed onto the ground in sobs. Sam fell down next to her, pulling her into his arms as she screamed.

He didn't know what to say or what to do. He just sat there while she cried into his shirt and squeezed his waist so tightly he could hardly breathe. He'd never seen Maddie like this, so hopeless, so broken. So he cried with her, but she had no idea. To her he was just a stranger, and her family was gone. To him, she was everything, and he'd do anything to take away her pain, but this kind of pain can't be taken away. It demands to be felt. Maddie's light was going out, and he didn't think he had the power to turn it back on.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you guys so much for all of the kind PMs and Reviews! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations and I'm glad I was able to jump into getting to know Sam and Zach better! I wanted the group to meet this chapter but it just became too long so that's going to happen next chapter I promise! If you haven't already please follow our tumblr page (url is posted at the bottom of the last chapter). My beta and I post updates, photosets, gifsets, and answer questions on there for you guys so we'd love it if you checked it out! By the way she wrote both of the flashbacks and she will be writing all of the flashbacks in this story! I love her and the work she does behind the scene is unbelievable! Chapter 3 will be up sometime next week (I'm traveling for the weekend so I might not have wifi) but I promise it will be up no later than next Wednesday!**


	5. Chapter 3

Maddie cried until the sun began to set and clouds rolled in overhead. Sam was patient with her, stroking her hair while she soaked his lap with tears. The difference in light must have snapped her back into reality, because once the sun was gone, Maddie's head perked back up. She was quiet and her cheeks were stained with tears but she seemed...better?

She wiped the remaining tears away and sniffled before climbing onto her feet and dusting off her pants. Sam stood up with her, prepared to reciprocate whatever moves she planned to make next.

"We should check the wreckage for supplies, the fire is simmering now and it's only a matter of time before the grounders decide to show up." She said. It was almost as if the hours she'd spent crying had never happened. Maddie was completely calm and rational; it didn't make sense.

"Maybe we should rest. It's getting dark and-"

"We're fine, I'm fine. Now let's split up and collect supplies we can meet back here at dawn." She said, still almost completely unaware of what had just happened. Sam was more concerned for her now than he ever had been before. She'd allowed herself to grieve for hours, only a few hours, and now she just bounced back like nothing ever occurred. He wasn't sure if she was in some state of shock, depression, or both; but whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

"No, we aren't splitting up." He managed to say. He decided not to push her any further. If she was emotionally unstable, he needed to be by her side.

Maddie could tell by the tone of his voice that he wouldn't budge, so she rolled her shoulders back, turned on her heels, and headed towards the other side of the simmering station with Sam following closely behind her.

* * *

"You know we could have had this shelter built hours ago if you'd just let me help you." Brin complained from her perch against an oak tree. Zach came around the bend carrying several logs over his shoulder and playfully rolled his eyes at her.

"You can barely stand. Until the fire calms down enough that I can go in there and look for something to make a splint, you're not moving. I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure an ankle isn't supposed to be twisted in that direction." Zach replied, setting the wood down in front of their makeshift hut. He had been collecting vines, leaves, and wood all afternoon. He was exhausted and covered in sweat, but he was determined to make a shelter by sundown, and he was almost done.

"So you learned how to make a splint in the guard?" Brin guessed. She wasn't one for silence, so she'd been making conversation with him all afternoon. Plus she was sure she'd lost a significant amount of blood and talking was the only thing keeping her conscious.

Zach wiped the sweat off of his forehead, "Sort of. We learned basic medical stuff. For instance, I know you need a splint, and I know what supplies to use to make it, but I have no idea how to align it so that it can actually help you."

Brin chuckled, "Then I guess I'm screwed."

"Nah, you're not screwed. We'll figure something out." Zach replied before turning around to resume his work.

They were quiet for awhile, Brin twisted her brown hair into a french braid while Zach finished tying off the rear wall of the hut. Her mind was racing with a million different thoughts and questions to say to him but she just couldn't find the words. Everything that she'd been through was so overwhelming and she just couldn't focus on it all.

Then she remembered: The glass doors, her mother calling out for her, and Hans's smirk. Her mother could be out there, she could have survived.

"I need to go." she spoke up, confusing Zach. When he glanced back to her, she was attempting to stand up, so he raced to her side and stopped her.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, catching his breath from the scare. Brin looked to the sky for any sign of smoke or another crashed station, but it was too dark to tell.

"I need to find-"

A crackling in the bushes instinctively caused Zach to reach his hand over and cover Brin's mouth. She froze in place, her words hanging quietly in the air while the footsteps traveled closer and closer to them. With his free hand, Zach reached over to grab his shock stick from his guard belt and handed it to Brin. He was about to ask if she knew how to use it but she instantly clicked it on and held it out to defend herself. The look in her eye gave him all of the assurance in the world that despite not being able to walk, she would be able to protect herself.

Zach released her and carefully reached for his gun before heading off towards the noise. He used the shrubbery for cover while whomever it was carelessly made their way towards him. He'd survived a crash to the ground on a space station, he wasn't dying like this.

"Do you hear that?" A girl's voice asked. Zach knew he'd heard the voice before, but he couldn't pinpoint where it was from. The air around them was filled with tension, both parties waiting for the other to strike but afraid to move themselves. Zach knew he needed to be the first one to make a move, he had the upperhand anyway. He clicked the safety off of his gun and took a deep breath before jumping up from where he was hiding and aiming his gun at the intruders.

"Woah!" Maddie gasped, throwing her hands into the air in surrender. Sam acted quickly, jumping in front of Maddie to shield her while Zach pointed his gun in their direction.

Zach couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was so sure that he and Brin were the only survivors. How did Sam Bradbury of all people manage to make it? Did this mean there were others? He was starting to like the idea of it just being him and Brin. Brin was nice company so far, she didn't know his past, and she was beautiful. Yeah she tended to ramble, she didn't like to take orders from anyone, and she was very vague, but he still liked her being around.

"Zach, put the gun down." Sam demanded, snapping Zach out of his thoughts. For some reason, Zach couldn't put the gun down. He didn't know why, but he just couldn't move. He had so much history and unfinished business with Sam, it would be so easy to just end it all now.

Sam started to approach him, making the situation ten times worse. Zach could feel the sweat running down his face and his heart pound in his chest while his finger rested on the trigger.

Maddie ran in front of Sam to stop him, "Don't! I'll do it."

Sam glanced over her shoulder at Zach and agreed. As worried as he was in this situation, Sam knew if he approached Zach in this state of mind he'd end up getting shot.

"Be careful." Sam said to her while looking directly at Zach. It was more of a warning to Zach than anything else.

Maddie nodded and quietly made her way to Zach, alone. When she arrived, she delicately lowered the gun to his side before unwinding his fingers from it, clicking the safety on, and setting it on the ground. There was something gentle about her, motherly and calming, that helped Zach relax and snap back into reality.

"Are you hurt?" She asked kindly, inspecting him for any sort of injury. Sam took a step back, relieved that the standoff was over.

"No, I'm fine. I just never thought I'd see Bradbury again." He said. Sam rolled his eyes.

"It's not like I'm thrilled to see you either." Sam snapped, building Zach's rage back up. Maddie stepped in, resting her hand on Zach's shoulder to calm him

"Enough! Whatever happened to you two on the ark, it's over. The ark is gone, and your stupid feud should go with it. Got it?" Maddie asked, looking between the boys. They nodded. "Good, we have much more important things to worry about."

"Like Brin." Zach added. Maddie raised her eyebrow.

"Who's Brin?" Sam asked, making his way towards the group.

"She's-" Zach paused, unsure of what she was to him before moving on, "I saved her life, but she's hurt and I honestly don't think I can help her."

"I can." Maddie said, taking away all of Zach's worries, "lead the way, Ellison."

Zach headed in the direction of their hut, but when he arrived at the oak tree, Brin wasn't there.

"Brin?" Zach called out. Sam and Maddie took in their surroundings, the tall trees, and the shelter Zach had built.

"Brin!" Zach yelled again. Brin limped over from behind some of the trees and relief washed over Zach's face. The last thing he wanted was to be left alone in this world with Maddie and Sam.

She turned off the shock stick and handed it back to Zach as he caught her in his arms and helped her back to the tree.

Maddie immediately fell to her knees, inspecting Brin, who seemed completely taken aback by this stranger touching her.

"Your ankle is sprained and the cut on your shoulder could be infected. Zach and Sam, I need you guys to go into the wreckage and look for some supplies to make a splint and see if there is any sort of medicine that survived." Maddie ordered.

"No!" The boys said in unison.

"This isn't a good idea, Maddie, you've already been through so much today-" Sam added.

"We've all been through a lot today," Brin piped in, Maddie gulped and Brin knew she shouldn't have said that. Clearly there was something she didn't know, "but seriously guys, it's just a little sprain I'll be fine. I can go look for supplies with you."

"Brin, no. You can barely walk. But I'm not going off with him, I'd rather go alone." Zach snapped.

"You're not going alone." Brin argued, surprising Zach.

"Do you want her to live?" Maddie began, turning her attention towards Zach, "Because if she has an infection, I need to be here to monitor her and you two need to go get some supplies."

"What are we even supposed to look for specifically?" Sam asked.

"I need two fork branches, vines, and some cloth. Bandages and wrap would be nice, but we might not get that lucky." Maddie said as she propped Brin's foot up on a pile of wood.

"Okay, let's go." Zach decided. Sam nodded.

"Be safe." Sam said to the girls, but clearly the statement was mainly aimed at Maddie. Zach could tell by the look in Maddie's eyes that she still had no clue who Sam really was. He couldn't wait to bring that up with Bradbury later.

"You too, thank you." Brin replied. Zach made his way over to her, handing the shock stick back to her.

"Keep it, you looked like you knew how to use it." Zach said with a wink. Brin smiled at him as she took the weapon and set it down at her side.

"If we aren't back by sunrise get out of here, find somewhere safe." Sam said to the girls.

"Let's go Bradbury." Zach replied before walking towards the crashed ship. Sam followed behind him and the girls watched them walk away until they were completely out of sight.

"What's their problem?" Brin asked, but Maddie was quiet.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sure you lost people you love too." Brin said. Maddie took a seat next to her, pulling her legs to her chest and resting her chin on them

"It's okay, I wasn't offended." Maddie replied. They were quiet again for a moment, both unsure of what to say to the stranger sitting next to them.

"What about you? Who'd you lose?" Maddie asked, breaking the silence. She needed a distraction because ignoring the fact that her mother was dead was the only way she could make the pain disappear. It might not have been the best method, but it worked, so that's what she was doing.

"Today? Or in my entire life?" Brin asked, leaning her head back against the tree.

"Both." Maddie replied.

Brin closed her eyes and thought about her family. They were so broken now and she never had the chance to fix it. She had to find her mother, because what they were on the ark wasn't what her father would have wanted.

* * *

 _Brin sighed as she looked longingly at the old crumbled photo stuck into her journal._

 _Although worn, the photo brought her indescribable amounts of joy. It reminded her of a happier time, when her family wasn't broken._

 _The photo was of Brin, her mother, and her father. Brin was smiling on her father's shoulders while her mother laughed and wrapped her arms around Brin's father's waist._

 _She was only eight in the photo, but yet it was the most recent family photo she had. The photo was taken just before her whole life changed._

 _Brin shoved the photo back in her journal when she heard her mother returning from work. Then she placed the journal under her bed and made her way out of her bedroom towards to main room in their apartment. Her mother, Stephanie, was sitting on the couch surrounded by paperwork._

 _"How was work mom?" Brin asked sweetly resisting the urge to clean up the paperwork. Brin's mother didn't tear her eyes away from the piles and piles of unfinished forms scattered around the room. She took the pencil out of her mouth to write something quickly before responding to her daughter._

 _"Same as always, honey I'm super busy at the moment could you please just leave me to it?" She asked, a sharpness to her voice._

 _Brin ignored her mother and tried again, "I was thinking that maybe after you're finished we could maybe go out for dinner or something. At that place you like? I rang up earlier and reserved a table just in case."_

 _Stefanie's head snapped up to glare at her daughter, "Brin please, I've already asked you to leave me alone. I have work to do and I don't have time to go out for dinner right now. Maybe another time ok?"_

 _Brin jumped up from the couch. "You never have time anymore mom. Not for me. All you care about is your work and Hans. Hell you and Caleb spend more time together then we do." Brin argued her voice cracking as she attempted to stop herself from crying._

 _"Honey, you know that's not true. I've just been busy the last few weeks." her mother explained._

 _"It's not just the last few weeks, mom. Ever since dad died you've been different. He's gone but I'm not. I'm still here mom! I haven't gone anywhere" Brin yelled._

 _"Go to your room and calm down please. I have work to do" Her mother demanded not looking Brin in the eye._

 _Defeated, Brin began to walk toward her bedroom a single tear streaming down her face._

 _"I love you Brin and you know that. There's no need for all this carry on" Stefanie said gently._

 _"I love you too, mom. I just miss how things used to be, when dad was alive." Brin sighed before closing her bedroom door behind her._

* * *

"I lost my dad when I was eight." Brin finally said to Maddie. Maddie's head perked up, almost forgetting what she'd asked Brin moments before. They'd both been so lost in memories and emotions that the question just slipped away.

"I'm sorry. I wish I understood. I never had a dad, well he was never around." Maddie replied, pulling grass from the ground as she spoke, "I don't even know who he is. He's probably dead now, but hey, it's not like I care."

"I'd give anything to have my dad back." Brin said, biting her lip to stop herself from crying over it. Yeah it had been years since her father passed, but every time she was reminded of it it broke her.

"I do understand that feeling." Maddie replied, referring to her mother. Maddie gently reached over and set her hand on Brin's knee.

Brin smiled, "Thank you. I'll take first watch if you want to rest in the hut."

"Okay, don't hesitate to call me if you don't feel well, and keep that leg elevated." Maddie ordered as she made her way into the hut.

"Got it." Brin replied. Even though she didn't know Maddie, Sam, or Zach very well at all yet, for the first time since her father died, she actually felt like someone cared, and that was a great feeling.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you guys so much for your kind reviews and patience. This past week has been very hectic for me (Vacation with no wifi, working overtime, etc) so I didn't have much time to write and I also was taking my time to make sure this chapter was perfect. I know it's not as long as the others but I hope you still enjoy it! I'll try to have chapter 4 up later this week but with the holidays there is not guarantee. I know how it feels to wait for a fic to update and I hate keeping you guys waiting. Anyways I hope you guys really liked this chapter. I'm glad the group is finally together and that we got to explore Maddie/Brin's friendship. I also can't wait for you to see how Zach and Sam do off on their own!**

 **If you haven't already, check out our tumblr page. My beta has made some pretty incredible gifsets for the characters and I post updates/answer questions on a daily basis! The link is at the bottom of the previous chapter.**

 **-CB**


	6. Chapter 4

Zach's flashlight and the moon were the only sources of light they had to work with. Parts of the station were still on fire, but the majority of it was now just a pile of pure ash and charred metal.

Sam took a step forward to enter the debris field but he stopped just before he set his foot down. Below him was a skeleton, the head of someone who was once alive just hours prior, right below his foot. He'd almost crushed it.

"Come on, we don't have much time." Zach said, tearing Sam's attention away from the body.

The boys were quiet as they made their way into the wreckage again. They could smell burnt hair, skin, and flesh all around them but they pressed on, searching each and every body for something that would help Brin.

"This section's probably toast. We should try to go a little further west. I don't think the fire was that bad on that side of the ship." Sam suggested. Zach kicked the dirt below him as it tossed around nothing but ashes and groaned.

"Alright, lead the way." He replied, handing his flashlight over to Sam. They were lucky that the supplies attached to Zach's guard uniform didn't fly off. At least they had a flashlight, canteen, compass, and gun.

"So Maddie still doesn't know you're her big brother?" Zach asked, smirking at Sam as they walked. Sam pinched his lips together and keep his gaze at the ground below while they walked, making Zach chuckle.

"What's the problem? You scared she's gonna hate you?" Zach teased.

"Back off." Sam replied, his tone cold like ice.

Zach lifted his hands in surrender, "Damn, sorry. I was just wondering. I mean she does have a right to know."

"I'll tell her when the time is right and you won't say anything to her about it. It's none of your business anyways." Sam said.

Zach laughed.

"Shut up." Sam snapped.

Zach was about to say something witty when they both were stopped in their tracks. Below them was a backpack, perfectly in tact, just sitting on top of the rubble.

"This has to be some sort of joke." Zach said, reaching for the backpack.

"Don't," Sam replied, grabbing onto Zach's wrist, "it could be a trap."

"We've been in this area for hours. If someone was setting up a trap we would have caught them." Zach said, denying it. If it was grounders, what kind of trap could they have made in this short amount of time? It didn't make any sense.

"Then give me your gun. This is too good to be true." Sam said.

Zach clutched onto the gun with his right hand and shook his head.

"No way."

Sam reached for the gun anyway, but Zach anticipated his move. They struggled for several minutes until Sam tilted the gun up towards the sky and accidentally fired it. The sound echoed all around them, probably alerting anyone near by of their presence.

"You might as well have written our location across the sky." Zach muttered as he took the smoking gun back from Sam.

"We just fell from the sky in a fireball. I think they know we are here. That's why we need to make sure this isn't a trap." Sam pressed on. Zach glanced over Sam's shoulder at the perfectly placed backpack and sighed.

"Just shoot the backpack. If it's a trap it will explode, if not then you can say I told you so and we can grab the pack." Sam negotiated. Zach groaned, grabbing Sam's arm and pulling him a few feet back. He pulled the gun back out of his belt and aimed it directly at the backpack.

"The grounders don't even have explosives. We learned that in the guard after the hundred radioed up intel." Zach said as he continued to adjust his aim.

"We aren't anywhere near the drop ship camp. Who knows what kind of people survived out where we are." Sam argued.

Zach licked his lips, "Alright, fine. Here's to one more wasted bullet."

The gun fired sending echos through the trees again. Several birds flew out from them, scattering across the sky, but the backpack stayed in tact.

"See I told you we'd be fine. You owe me two bullets." Zach said, clicking the safety on and heading towards the backpack.

"Zach wait!" Sam shouted. Zach turned around to face Sam when a loud explosion occurred. The boys flew several feet back before landing hard on sharp metal. Zach covered his face with his jacket as a strange white light and blue smoke covered them. He held his breath, doing whatever he could to stay conscious as his vision blurred and the world around him became whiter and whiter. Eventually he had to breathe, but the air inside of his jacket was still pure.

Several seconds later, the smoke cleared. Zach sat up, gasping for air as he looked around for Sam. There was a ringing in his ears from the explosion that made him scream when he turned his head to the right.

Sam was laying there, on his stomach with his face down in the rubble.

"Sam!" Zach shouted, his words echoing around him. His voice almost sounded muffled but he could tell by the strain in his throat that he'd shouted quite loudly. Sam lifted his head up and clutched it, realizing the loud ringing now for himself.

"We have to go!" Zach screamed, reaching out to pull Sam off of the ground.

"Why are you helping me?" Sam coughed.

Zach wrapped Sam's arm around his shoulder, "We're even. You warned me about touching the bag, I'm pulling you out of this hell. Just this once, Bradbury."

Sam dug his nails into the side of Zach's arm as they limped away from the scene. He carried them as far away as he could before he collapsed from the ringing in his ears. Sam fell down with him, making a huge thud as they hit the ground.

"Gah, my head!" Zach complained, clutching onto his ears.

"You're lucky you didn't inhale that smoke. One wiff of it and I almost passed out. Plus it burned my nostrils." Sam muttered, rubbing his watering eyes.

They laid there for awhile, both trying to catch their breath and return back to normal before continuing on.

"We need to find whoever did this. They could have traps everywhere." Sam said, sitting up for the first time. The area was dark and quiet, and there was no sign of anyone nearby.

"If they were around they probably would have captured us by now. That bomb wasn't meant to kill us, it was meant to knock us out." Zach replied as he checked his belt to make sure all of his weapons and tools were still on him.

"What's creepy is that the bomb was inside of a backpack from the ark. I had one just like it back home." Zach added, climbing onto his feet. He reached his hand down to help Sam up before dusting off his pants.

"Which means there are backpacks full of supplies that survived." Zach guessed.

Sam nodded, "But Sandra gave me a backpack like that, they have them in medical."

Zach gulped, "They're watching us. They've been watching us this entire time. They know exactly what we need to help Brin-"

"We need to go back, get the girls, and get out of here." Sam said, interrupting Zach.

Zach shook his head, "No, no way. That backpack means that the supplies we need to save Brin are out here. We have to fight back, we can't let these grounders own us."

"If we stay here, they will kill us. We have one gun, one knife, and one shock stick. They can build _bombs_ out of _backpacks_. We are in way over our heads and they know that." Sam argued.

"Maddie will never leave without the supplies to save Brin. If Brin has an infection she will die without that medicine and you and I both know Maddie wouldn't let that happen." Zach countered. Sam took a step back, thinking everything through before replying. They had a very difficult decision to make. If they left, Brin could die from an infection and they could die from something out in the unknown territory. But if they stayed, they could get captured by these people or killed tonight. What risk was worth taking?

"Nice to see that you're finally caring about someone other than yourself." Sam muttered.

"I'm not, caring-" Zach said, unconvincingly, "I'm just, looking out for all of us. Brin's smart, she's a quick thinker, and she doesn't let her emotions get in the way. There's only four of us and God knows where the other Ark stations landed. Every life matters."

"Fine. We look for the supplies until dawn, but if we find another trap we are heading back for the girls and getting out of here. Got it?" Sam offered.

"Got it" Zach replied, pulling out his gun and walking ahead of them. He sure hoped he didn't just guarantee their deaths.

* * *

Brin smiled as Maddie rolled over and lightly snored in her sleep. Zach hadn't finished the right wall, so Brin had a perfect view of Maddie sleeping. She couldn't help but noticed how beautiful the young blonde was. Maddie was very tiny, but she had smooth skin and an innocent face that Brin couldn't help but admire. It was so relaxing to Brin, watching Maddie sleep.

Maddie stirred a little more before slowly opening her blue eyes and locking them with Brin's. Brin turned away, blushing a little bit from being caught staring, but Maddie didn't seem very fazed about it.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Maddie asked, her voice still a little groggy from waking up. Brin looked down at her swollen ankle and shrugged.

"As good as I can feel." She replied. Maddie sat up and stretched.

"That's good. Hopefully the boys will be back soon. Did you want to get some sleep?" Maddie asked, yawning a little bit at the end.

"No, I'm fine. You can go back to sleep if you want." Brin said, shifting her back against the tree.

Maddie shook her head before coming over to sit next to Brin, "Nah, I'm alright now."

Maddie leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes so she could focus on the smell of the nature around her. Distracting herself from her mother's death was actually easier than she thought it would be. It was like she flipped a switch, shutting off her emotions so she could think rationally. But the silence was wearing it off, she needed to listen to something else rather than her own thoughts.

"Talk to me about something." Maddie said, peeking over at Brin, who was twiddling her thumbs.

"Like what?" Brin asked, tilting her head to the side so she could look at Maddie.

"I don't know, anything. Tell me something about you." Maddie suggested. She didn't want to talk about family, any family for that matter because she didn't want Brin to ask questions. She just wanted to forget.

Brin sighed, gazing into Maddie's eyes. She'd only known Maddie for a short time but she already trusted her. There was something innocent and understanding about Maddie that made her easy to talk to. So she decided to tell her about something from her childhood.

* * *

 _Brin stomped into her home on Alpha Station, throwing her little backpack on the floor before slamming the door shut and pouting. Brin's mother and father were sitting on the couch, both shocked by the display._

" _What's the matter sweetheart?" Her father had said. He got up to lead her towards the couch before lifting her up and setting her on his lap. She was only 7 but she was very mature for her age._

 _Brin's mother reached over to grasp her daughter's tiny fingers in comfort._

" _I have a problem." Brin had said, her pink lips pouting._

" _What is it baby?" Stephanie asked, letting her fingers moved Brin's brown hair behind her ears._

" _I like everybody!" Brin admitted, a small tear falling from her eye._

" _Awh sweetheart, that's a good thing. It's not good to hate people." Brin's father had said._

 _Little Brin shook her head, "Not like that! I have to pick a dance partner for the unity day play and I can't decide between Bradley and Ann. I like them both bunches, but none of the other girls in my class want to be partners with a girl. They all picked boys. Why'd they only want to pick boys? I'd go with a boy or a girl."_

 _Brin's mother and father looked between each other, huge smiles spreading across their faces._

" _Brin sweetie, this isn't something to feel bad about. This is actually a good thing, a really great thing. It makes you special." Brin's father said, pulling his daughter closer to him._

" _So it's okay?" She asked, her big eyes watering._

" _Brin, it's the best thing. Did you know your mommy is just like you? And so are many other people on the Ark!" He replied, kissing her forehead._

" _She is?" Brin asked, Stephanie nodded, with tears in her eyes._

" _I am. I like everybody too." Stephanie managed to say. This was one of the best things she could ever hear from her daughter._

" _But everybody doesn't like me. Ann doesn't want to go with me, she said she only likes boys." Brin cried._

" _And that's okay too! You know Mrs. Farley from down the hall? She likes just girls and that's okay too. On the ark, you can like whoever you want to like. When the stations joined together, this was one of the first things that was decided." Stephanie explained. Brin tried to scoot closer, her interest peaked._

" _In the old world, the world before the bombs, some people were very mean to people like you and I, but we are blessed to live in a time where that hatred has turned into love." Stephanie continued._

" _You may like people like Ann who aren't like you, and maybe you will like people who are. All of that is okay. You could marry someone like daddy like I did or you could marry a girl like Mrs. Farley did! Everyone will love you just the same." Stephanie finished, smiling down at her daughter. Brin climbed up off of her father's lap and wrapped her little arms around her mother's neck._

" _I love you mommy and daddy." She whispered as she squeezed her mom._

" _And we love you." Brin's father replied, joining in on the hug._

* * *

"Wow, that's so beautiful." Maddie gasped, at a loss for how to respond to Brin's story. Brin just nodded and returned to twiddling her thumbs.

"I wish I was like you. But-" Maddie added, and Brin understood. Maddie wasn't like her, and that was okay too.

"I get it. I'm glad you are the way you are." Brin whispered, her lips curling into a smile.

"Same goes to you." Maddie said, reaching over to squeeze Brin's hand.

A gun shot rang off in the distance, in the direction that the boys headed. Maddie and Brin both felt like their hearts stopped as the noise echoed across the forest.

"You don't think-"

"No, we can't think like that." Brin said, stopping her friend. Maddie bit her lip and sunk back against the tree.

"Sam said to find somewhere safe if they aren't back by sunrise." Maddie repeated.

There was another gunshot and then an explosion. Maddie and Brin's mouths gaped as the birds flew from the trees and the dark sky turned white from the burst.

"Oh my gosh. Brin was that-" Maddie gasped, clutching onto Brin's arm for dear life.

Brin shook her head, "Zach didn't have explosives on him-"

"Then they are being attacked. We have to help them!" Maddie exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

"How?" Brin asked, glancing down at the shock stick at her side, "we don't have anything to help them. We don't even have a flashlight. We have one weapon, and I can barely stand."

"We can't just leave them out there-"

Brin's mind was racing, she wanting nothing more to jump up and run into the action, but she couldn't and it was driving her nuts.

"I know!" Brin screamed, "I know," She repeated quietly. Maddie noticed the sweat collecting on Brin's forehead and instantly dropped back down to her knees.

"It's the infection." Maddie said quietly, reaching over to grab the canteen of water Zach had left them. Luckily Zach had found a waterfall not to far from them while he was out collecting wood and brought back two canteens of water. He left one with Brin and Maddie and took the other for himself and Sam. Maddie ripped off a piece of her shirt and quickly dabbed it with water before placing it on Brin's forehead.

"We wait until sunrise. Then if they aren't back I can see and I can go find them" Maddie decided.

"I don't need anyone else risking their life because of me. If they aren't back by sunrise, you go. Get out of here." Brin argued. Maddie shook her head.

"Try and sleep. Don't worry." Maddie said, but the concern in her voice was unwavering. It was clear to both of the girls, even if they didn't say it out loud. If Zach and Sam didn't return with medicine by morning, Brin would die from the infection caused by the wound on her shoulder.

Brin shook her head, "No. Not until I know they didn't die because of me."

* * *

"Do you recognize any part of this station? Do you know where medical would have been? I'm from Factory station, so I have no idea where to start looking." Zach said as they carefully scanned the ground for anymore hidden explosives. So far they'd seen two more backpacks placed strategically in the way of safe paths. They started standing farther away and tossing rocks to set the backpacks off.

"No, it all looks like one big pile of metal to me." Sam replied, moving the flashlight back and forth so that they could see.

"Alright, keep looking." Zach muttered. He was starting to get very anxious about the entire situation and he didn't know why. He assumed it was because of his impending death by explosion but it had to be much more than that.

"I think I see something!" Sam called out to him. Zach made his way over to Sam, careful not to step on too many skeletons.

"Where?" Zach asked when he arrived. Sam bent down to the ground and pointed at a backpack down far below the rubble. It would be almost impossible to reach, which meant it definitely wasn't an explosive.

"Help me lift the rubble. I'm going to climb down there." Zach ordered. Sam nodded, sticking the flashlight in his mouth so he could use both hands to help Zach. It was much more difficult to lift the rubble now because much of it had been melted because of the fires from the day. After about an hour, Sam and Zach were able to clear a path almost directly down to the backpack. Zach would have to climb down there and watch his step so he didn't fall to the bottom. It was a long way down and if he fell, he'd die.

"I still can't believe Isaac Ellison is actually risking his life for someone other than himself." Sam mumbled.

Zach wanted to punch him for using that name, but he held it together and began climbing down into the pit. They didn't have much time left before sunrise and he wasn't going to waste it punching Sam, as satisfying as it would be.

"Don't call me that." Was all he managed to reply at he started to climb down the hole.

Sam shined the flashlight down towards the backpack.

"You're almost there." Sam said, "Just a few more feet down.

Zach continued to climb, but his fingers were becoming wet with sweat, making it much harder for him to grip the side of the pit. When the backpack was finally in his reach, he couldn't get it because it was wrapped around a skeleton.

"Shit." He muttered as he tried to untangle the straps from the skeleton's arms. Whoever this was was holding onto this backpack for dear life.

"Ahh!" Zach yelled, his foot slipping.

"Did you lose the backpack?" Sam asked, unable to see it past Zach.

"I almost fell to my death. The backpack is fine, thanks for your concern." Zach grumbled as he adjust his grip again.

Sam rolled his eyes and tried to adjust the flashlight for Zach to see better. Zach used his one free hand to finally yank the backpack into his arms. He shook when he saw the arm of the skeleton come with it, still wrapped around that pack.

Zach shook the backpack over the pit until the arm fell off into the darkness.

"How's it going?" Sam asked.

"I haven't exploded yet so I'd say we are making progress." Zach called up. He put the backpack over his right shoulder and began climbing back out of the pit. His arms were becoming very tired but he pressed on, determined to live.

"Almost there!" Sam coached him. Zach was almost to the top, one more step up and he'd be on the surface. But suddenly, he lost his balance and his hands lid off. He screamed, and for a moment he was sure he was going to die, but Sam instinctively reached down and caught Zach's hands.

"I got you. Hold on!" Sam groaned. His face was becoming red as he used all of his strength to pull Zach from the rubble. Zach was about the same size as Sam, 6'3, and muscular, so he wasn't easy to lift, but the adrenaline was enough of a boost to help Sam successfully save Zach's life.

Zach coughed when he was back on the ground and took a minute to catch his breath. Sam was panting as well, completely in shock by what they'd just accomplished.

"There better be something useful in this damn backpack." Zach breathed as he took it off of his shoulder. Sam shined the flashlight on it while Zach unzipped it for the first time. It felt like an eternity before Zach started to pull out things. The first thing he found was a blanket, and he immediately handed it to Sam. Then he pulled out some protein bars, two more canteens, a knife, and a bottle of whiskey.

At the very bottom of the bag was what they'd been searching for, a first aid kit, perfectly in tact and never opened. He immediately dug into the first aid kit to see what it had. It was full of bandages, pain medications, antibiotics, and rubbing alcohol.

"I've never been so happy to see medicine in my life." Zach gasped before he piled all of the items back into the backpack and threw it over his shoulder. The sun was beginning to come up now and if the girls listened to Sam, they would be leaving in less than an hour.

"We need to go." Sam said, realizing that too. The boys jumped up and used Zach's compass to direct them towards the girls. The sun was just peaking over the hills and they prayed that they weren't too late.

* * *

"Sun's almost up." Brin said as she tapped Maddie to wake her up. Brin was feeling much much worse and she was sure her fever was at its peak. When Maddie awoke, she instantly felt guilty and rushed to put a damp towel on Brin's head.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep-"

"It's okay, there's not much you or anyone can do for me without medicine. And it looks like that's not coming." Brin replied, closing her eyes when the damp towel touched her hot skin.

"Still, I should have stayed up with you." Maddie argued and Brin decided to let it go.

The sun was peaking over the trees and both of the girls knew what that meant. They hadn't heard another explosion for a few hours, but they were pretty sure the boys were dead, and Brin was next. If Maddie left now, she could get out of there and make it. Brin would be able to distract the attackers giving Maddie the perfect amount of time to run.

"I'm going to go find the boys." Maddie decided. She helped make Brin comfortable before standing up and taking a sip of water. Brin looked miserable and eventually she ended up vomiting up any food that was inside of her.

"I'll be back soon I promise." Maddie said as she bent down to rub Brin's back while she finished puking. Brin nodded and wiped the vomit from her mouth.

"You should get out of here. Just because we are all dead doesn't mean you should be too." Brin coughed, her voice was strained and she was beginning to have trouble breathing.

"No. I know when to lose hope and this isn't the time to do that." Maddie argued. Brin didn't have the strength to speak again, so she let Maddie go and hoped she'd be okay.

* * *

The sun continued to rise above the tree line and the boys knew they were already way too late. Sam ran ahead while Zach followed behind, watching their backs.

"We're almost there!" Sam gasped, looking down at the compass.

"Sam?" Maddie's little voice rang out from across the forest.

"Maddie!" He yelled, immediately bolting in her direction. Zach did his best to keep up but he was exhausted. When they reunited, Sam and Maddie hugged and Zach revealed the backpack. Sam was also carrying the natural items that Maddie had requested to make a splint.

"She doesn't have much time. But we aren't far and I think I can save her thanks to you guys." Maddie said, taking the backpack from Zach. The boys followed her all the way back to their makeshift camp where Brin was laying on the ground. She was pale as ever and covered in sweat. She was also lying in a pool of her own vomit.

"Brin!" Maddie and Zach gasped in unison. They rushed over to her side, lifting her out of the vomit. Zach instinctively sat up against the tree and spread his legs so he sit Brin up in between them. She was barely conscious, so Zach leaned her back against his chest. Maddie quickly dug into the first aid kit and examined all of the different medications before she found exactly what she needed. Zach brushed Brin's hair out of her face so Maddie could get a clear view. Sam was pacing back and forth, standing guard in case anyone else came to attack them. He'd bite his nails and occasionally look down to see if Brin was okay.

Maddie reached for the canteen and popped the pills into Brin's mouth. Brin swallowed the pills cautiously and then leaned her head back against Zach's chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and rocked her back and forth to soothe her until her breathing steadied again and she relaxed in his arms.

"Is she going to be okay?" Zach whispered, his breath hot against Brin's ears.

Maddie put the lid on the canteen, "She should be okay."

Zach squeezed Brin closer to him and rested his cheek against the side of her head. They were all quiet for a moment, waiting for Brin to do something, or say something.

Maddie used the bandages and sticks to make a splint and align Brin's ankle while they waited. There was a feeling in the pit of Zach's stomach and he didn't understand it. He'd known Brin for a matter of hours and all he wanted was for her to survive. Maybe it was all of the work he did to get her out from the rubble, or not wanting to be left alone with Sam and Maddie, but he actually was starting to care for someone other than himself.

"Zach? Sam? Maddie?" Brin whispered. Everyone smiled as she opened her eyes and looked around. A smile spread across her face and for a moment she didn't even noticed that it was Zach who was holding her. She knew he was there, but it didn't register with her that he was holding her.

"How do you feel?" Maddie asked.

Brin smiled, "A lot better. Like I can do anything."

"Well you need to take it easy for a couple days." Zach chimed in, and Brin flipped her head around to look at him.

"No, we can't. We need to get out of here. My mother is out there and I need to find her. We ended things on a bad note and I can't just sit around while she is out there." Brin argued.

"I'm with Brin. I'd love to help her find her mother again." Maddie chimed in. In a way, helping Brin find her mom was very personal to Maddie. If Maddie couldn't have her mom, finding Brin's mom would be the perfect distraction.

"No way. We need to stay here. There are grounders out here that are way more advanced than we anticipated. They can build _bombs_ out of _backpacks_. They've been watching us since we arrived and we need to stay here and defend ourselves. Who knows what else is out there and the odds are it's worse than these grounders. We can set up camp by the waterfall." Zach countered. Brin struggled to stand up, but managed to and crossed her arms at Zach.

"Yeah it's way too dangerous. I think staying might be the better option." Sam said, backing Zach up. Maddie glared at her brother.

"I don't want you to get killed." Sam added, for Maddie's sake and she instantly loosened up.

"Are you being serious right now?" Brin said to Zach, she was getting more and more furious with him by the second, "My mom and everyone else from the Ark could be out there dying and you want to stay here?"

Sam took a step back and glanced at his little sister. He was starting to realize that maybe they were right, maybe they should go out looking for their people. But Zach still wasn't buying it.

Zach came closer to Brin, so he was towering over her, "Who cares about the rest of the Ark. They are either burnt to a crisp like Tesla or out looking for us. It's best if we sit tight and survive. We need to figure out who these grounders are and what they want."

Brin rolled her eyes, "How can you be so selfish? My mom is out there and I will do whatever it takes to find her."

"I'm selfish? Brin I'm trying to protect you-" Zach cleared his voice, "to protect us. We barely have any weapons. We can't go out there on our own. If a bigger station survived they could have guards that are looking for us right now."

"And what if they don't? What if everyone decides to sit tight like you're suggesting." Brin countered.

"Then screw them." Zach snapped, he was so close to her now that she could feel his breath on her lips.

Her eyes became dark, "Screw you. I honestly thought I'd misjudged you, that you weren't the guy who was going to leave me buried alive, but the jokes on me. That's exactly who you are."

Zach took a step back, a lump in his throat from Brin's strong words. She knew exactly how to read him and exactly what to say to make it hurt.

"Enough." Maddie interjected, "Brin go sit down and rest."

Brin turned around and limped back over to the tree with the help of Sam. He helped prop up her leg again and she thanked him, but when Zach glanced over, Brin couldn't even look him in the eyes.

"We stay here, down by the waterfall until Brin is feeling better. Then when Brin is feeling better whoever wants to go can go and whoever wants to stay can stay. I want us all to stick together but if any of you don't want to come we can't force you." Maddie decided.

"Want to bring it to a vote?" Sam suggested.

Maddie nodded, "All in favor of staying here until Brin is better?"

Sam, Maddie and Brin raised their hands.

"Then it's settled. Let's go down to the water."

* * *

 **A/N: So this chapter was a monster to write but I hope you all like it! I actually wrote this flashback instead of my beta because Brin's sexuality is something very personal and important to me since I am bisexual too. Thank you guys so much for all of the questions on tumblr. It's crazy some of the things you all come up with an I really enjoy talking to you. I also love your reviews so keep those coming too!**

 **What did you guys think? Is Zach right to want to stay and survive there or is Brin right to leave? What would you do?**


	7. Chapter 5

Three days passed since the group made their way to the waterfall. Zach and Sam spent the first day taking apart the shelter by the crash site, carrying it down to the water's edge, and then rebuilding it. While they were busy, Maddie helped Brin learn how to walk with her splint on. Brin was feeling much better from the medicine, but she still had a few days to go before she would be back to her normal self. It was difficult for her to walk at first, but after a couple hours she finally got the hang of it and was able to do it on her own.

On the second day, Zach and Sam spent the morning learning how to hunt and eventually came back with two rabbits for lunch. Then in the afternoon they navigated the wreckage again to search for weapons. They were able to find four more guns, two knives, and a tomahawk. In the meantime, Brin taught Maddie how to use the shock stick from the guard. She'd only accidentally shocked Brin twice, so she was doing a pretty good job.

When Maddie asked how Brin learned to use it, Brin was quiet. No one had ever found out, but Brin had stolen a shock stick once from a guard on the Ark. She liked to keep it just in case Hans got too close. Luckily he never did, but she practiced using it every day just in case. Somewhere deep down she knew Hans and Caleb would eventually try to get rid of her, she just never anticipated it to be like this. She was also convinced that they had played some part in her father's death. Her father was perfectly healthy, and for him to come down with a deadly illness all of the sudden just seemed too out of the ordinary. Especially since she later found out that Hans and Stephanie had been messing around prior to her father's death.

The third day was pretty uneventful at first, Sam spent the morning swimming with Maddie while Brin watched from the water's edge. She was starting to feel much better, and walking was becoming much easier, but Maddie still thought they should wait a few more days before travel. But sitting on the sidelines while everyone else worked and while her mother was somewhere out there with Hans was driving Brin nuts.

"You okay?" Zach asked her, wiping the sweat off of his brow. He'd been trying to build a wall around their little camp all day but no one else wanted to help because they were so sure they'd be leaving soon.

"Can't you tell I don't want to talk to you?" Brin muttered. Zach bent down to where she was sitting and gave her a pleading look. She knew he was sorry for what he'd said, but just because he was sorry didn't mean he'd changed his mind. He still believed that he was right and it was driving her nuts.

"You can't avoid me forever. We are stuck here together you know." Zach said as he stood up again to resume his work.

"Yes I can. And in a few days I will be on my way to save my mother and our people while you will be here. We'll never have to see each other again." Brin argued, making Zach pause.

"Brin-"

Brin stood up and started to walk away from Zach, but he grabbed her by the waist, stopping her dead in her tracks. They were frozen like that for a moment, until Brin glanced down at his hands and cleared her throat. He immediately released her, and she nodded at him before going to sit closer to Maddie and Sam.

"Everything okay?" Maddie asked from the water. She shook her hair out like a dog, but Sam just came up from behind her and splashed her, soaking her once more.

Maddie flipped back around to him, "Seriously?"

Sam tried to hold in a laugh but he couldn't with Brin sitting on the side of the river laughing too. She was almost in tears she was laughing so hard, but Maddie was focused on Sam and how cherry red his face was from holding his breath. If he exhaled, he wouldn't be able to hold in the laughter anymore.

"I'm sorry!" Sam gave in, laughing and clutching his bare stomach while Maddie gasped.

"Sammy!" She yelled, splashing him once more. The name stayed in the air around them, hanging there like a dark cloud. Maddie suddenly became deathly quiet, and her face grew pale. Sam and Brin stopped laughing and waited while Maddie's eyes filled with tears.

"Your, Sammy. You're _the_ Sammy. The Sammy who was my friend. That's why you have been so protective of me." Maddie whimpered, her gaze not tearing from Sam's guilty eyes.

"Maddie I wanted to-"

"Stop! Don't." She stopped him, raising her hand and turning away from him, "I need some space."

Sam backed up in the water, watching as his little sister ran out of the river and to the shore. Brin watched too, confused, and tried to stop Maddie but she just pushed her away.

"Don't, I want to be alone." Maddie said. Brin respected her, and didn't chase after her as she ran towards the woods.

"What was that about?" Brin asked Sam as he climbed out of the water. He was dripping with water but shook his head before taking a seat next to Brin.

"It's a long story." He replied. They both gazed forward at the crystal blue water and sighed.

Brin turned to him and gave him a sympathetic smile, "I've got time."

* * *

Maddie ran as fast as she could away from the situation. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Sam was Sammy. She was both hurt and comforted by the fact that it was him and it would take some time for her to be around him again. How could he have kept that from her? Why hadn't he interacted with her since they were children? How could he lie to her so easily?

 _A tiny blonde head popped up from underneath the covers of a small bed. Once realising that she was alone and that there was an empty space beside her, the blonde peeled the covers back and climbed out so she could run into the main room. When she did this, the front door opened and her mother entered._

 _"Mads what are you doing out of bed?" The young woman asked sternly. Maddie's mother was young and inexperienced when she had Maddie but she'd grown up a lot since then._

 _"I woke up and you weren't there, momma. Where'd you go?" Maddie asked her, innocently._

 _Her mother sighed before beckoning her daughter to hop into her arms. "I had to run up to the clinic to go get something. I was only gone a few minutes Mads."_

 _Maddie sighed, melting into her mother's embrace. It was then that Maddie noticed the all too familiar visitors badge on her mother's wrist. She wiggled out of her mom's arms._

 _"You lied! You're not supposed to lie. You went to see Sammy without me" Maddie yelled._

 _"Maddie, I can't bring you anymore. He's not good for you. That was the last time that I'll be visiting him too." Her mother explained quickly._

 _"He is good for me Momma. I'm seven I'm a big girl and Sammy's my friend. It's not fair I want to see him again" Maddie cried._

 _"No Maddie I'm sorry that's not going to happen. Now let's go back to bed" Her mother replied._

 _"Momma please! I miss him. He's all lonely by himself in there. Who's going to bring him birthday presents now?" Maddie whimpered tears streaming now her face now._

 _"Maddie stop that now. You're a big girl there's no need for tears. Sammy's got new friends now and he's getting bigger so we need to leave him alone, okay? Now let's go to sleep." Her mother argued._

 _Maddie wanted to fight back but her eyelids were struggling to stay open at the late hour. She gave in and crawled into bed curling up into her mother._

 _"Will I see him again Momma?" She asked quietly._

 _Her mother sighed kissing Maddie's forehead. "Maybe some day when you're all grown up."_

 _And with that Maddie drifted off into a dream filled sleep, hoping that she would see him again but knowing deep down that she probably never would and if she did it would never be the same._

* * *

Zach came around the corner, carrying so more wood for his wall. He glanced down at Maddie, noticing her tears but didn't bother to ask her what was wrong. Honestly, he didn't care.

"Go away." Maddie snapped when he decided to chop wood right next to her.

"Um, I was here first. How bout you find a new spot?" Zach retorted. Maddie crossed her arms and stood her ground. He was right, and she could leave, but she didn't know where else to go. She was afraid of going too far away from the group and in a way she was glad Zach was there, building the wall. It gave her a sense of security being behind some sort of barrier.

"I'm staying." Maddie replied, settling in next to him. Zach shrugged his shoulders and continued to work, exactly as he had been doing before she arrived. If she wanted to stay, fine. Quite frankly, he still didn't care.

* * *

"So she's not just your childhood friend, she's your sister?" Brin asked, clarifying the story that Sam had told her. He nodded and continued to toss pebbles into the water.

"I thought Bellamy and Octavia were the only siblings on the ark?" She added, a little skeptical.

"Our situations were different. Since Maddie and I had different moms, it made hiding the fact that we were siblings much easier. No one really asked questions or expected it. But to be on the safe side, when Maddie was born, Sandra lied about who the father was so Maddie nor the council would ever know. Despite every horrible thing he did, Sandra still showed our father mercy. She was a great person." Sam explained, his voice a little strained at the end

Brin smiled, "I'm sure she will understand when you tell her the truth."

"And I want to, it's just, she's been through so much and honestly I don't think she is emotionally stable enough right now to handle that. She's acting fine, but she's just masking the pain. She hasn't given herself enough time to grieve." Sam replied.

Brin scooted closer to him and rested her hand on his, "Maybe knowing that she still has family left is actually what she needs."

Sam curled his fingers in the dirt under her hand and thought it over. He was terrified to tell Maddie the truth because he was afraid that she would resent him forever. She just became upset over finding out that he was her childhood friend, how upset would she be if she found out that he was her brother too?

Brin pursed her lips and turned her attention from the river to look in Sam's eyes. She was instantly mesmerized by his chocolate brown eyes. He definitely came across that he'd been a player and a ladies man in the past, but clearly now his priority was his little sister. No one else mattered.

"You can't avoid him forever you know." Sam said, changing the subject to Brin's problems with Zach.

She chuckled, "Did you guys both plan say that?"

Sam playfully elbowed her, "Oh come on."

Brin frowned, "But seriously, since when are you two chummy?"

"I have been spending a lot of time with him these past few days, he's talked. He really cares about you for some reason, which is something I've never seen him do." Sam said.

"He just feels guilty that I caught him trying to leave me to die." Brin mumbled.

Sam reached over and lifted her chin to look in her eyes, "But he didn't, he couldn't. Brin, he cares about you. He hasn't cared about anything in years. Please talk to him, you're the only one who will convince him to come with us. If he stays he will die."

Brin's lips parted and for a moment she felt like she couldn't breathe. She hadn't really been cared for since her dad died. Her mom had been so distant and she was such an outcast from her family that she didn't understand what it meant to be cared for anymore.

Sam searched her eyes, hoping that she'd see it, but she couldn't move. Her tiny chin just rested softly in his hands.

"I'll talk to him." She whispered, "I promise."

* * *

Maddie sniffled, the sun was starting to go down and she'd run out of things to talk to Zach about. She was pretty sure Zach knew everything she knew about modern medicine in just a few short hours.

"Do you hear that?" Zach asked as he finished the wall on this side of the river. Maddie glanced around, but she heard nothing.

"No I don't hear anything." She replied, crossing her arms.

"Exactly. Let's keep it that way." He said. Maddie rolled her eyes, at least he'd listened for this long. That was progress, right?

There was a crackling in the woods that stopped Zach dead in his tracks. Maddie didn't seem to hear it, she was too busy sniffling to hear anything.

Do you hear that?" Zach repeated, serious this time. Maddie glanced up from the ground and glared at him.

"Seriously, it wasn't funny the first time what makes you think it's funny now?" She groaned, but Zach's face was stone cold and instantly she knew he wasn't crying wolf.

Zach pulled out his gun quickly and quietly and headed towards the side of the wall that wasn't complete yet. Maddie noticed Zach's pack, full of all of the weapons he and Sam had collected over the past few days, and grabbed a gun from it as well. She followed closely behind Zach, careful not to accidently. shoot him. She knew how to use a shock stick at this point, but the shock stick was all the way down the shore with Brin and Sam.

Zach glanced back at Maddie holding a gun. He was about to say something, like for her to put it away, but there was no time. Whoever it was, was on the other side of the small wall. The wall was great, but it wasn't even close to complete. Anyone could get in.

Zach could feel his heart beating in his chest as the sounds of several people talking in a language unfamiliar was on the other side of the wall.

"We need to run." Maddie whispered, pointing towards the river where Sam and Brin were. Zach shook his head, he wasn't going to spend the rest of his life running. He was going to stay here, build this wall, and defend his camp.

"No, we need to fight back." Zach whispered back, "Plus I thought you were all gung ho about staying here until Brin is better. Brin isn't better yet and there's no way she can outrun these people because she just learned to walk again." Maddie leaned back against the wall and shut her eyes.

Suddenly, two grenades flew over the top of the wall and landed right besides Maddie and Zach. Maddie quickly grabbed the backpack of weapons and his arm, pulling him away from the grenades and down towards the riverbank. The explosion was deafening, but they were far enough away from it that the power of it gave them a boost in the right direction.

There was a white light, then blue smoke, and then an army of mask wearing grounders. Zach stopped to shoot at them but there were just too many.

"Come on Zach we need to get Sam and Brin and we need to go!" Maddie screamed over the sounds of gunfire and explosives, but their guns were different. They weren't shooting bullets, they were shooting tranquilizers.

"They don't want to kill us." Zach mumbled as he pulled a tranq dart from a tree nearby. Maddie grabbed his arm again and dragged him until the hit the river bank. Sam and Brin immediately raced to them, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"We need to get out of here now. There is a group of grounders coming for us and we need to leave." Maddie said between breaths.

"No!" Zach gasped, "I'm not leaving here, I'm not letting them take our home!"

"We don't have a home don't you see that!" Brin screamed, "We aren't safe on our own!"

Zach could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he realized that what she and everyone had been saying was true. Setting up camp and surviving was just a fantasy. This river? It was a fantasy, he'd never have a perfect life like this.

"But what about you?" Zach whispered, his breath hitching from the lump in his throat.

"I'll stay behind." She said, raising her chin to show how strong she was, "I'll serve as a distraction so you guys can get away."

"No way in hell." Zach and Sam said in unison. The gunfire was getting closer now and they didn't have much time left. Sam ran to Brin, throwing her over his shoulder and bolted towards the south. Zach took one last look at the camp he'd built and sighed, he'd never have this.

Maddie swung Zach's pack over her shoulder and pointed for Zach to carry the rest of the supplies. He grabbed them and ran, following Maddie, Sam, and Brin away from the small home he'd created. He was going on the search to find the other ark stations, because he didn't have anywhere else to go.

Sam lead them to a path of rocks that crossed the raging river. They were able to get far enough ahead of the grounders that they lost them for the night, but they would have to keep moving in the morning. Zach didn't set up a fire, they couldn't have that luxury now that they were on the run. Instead, the group huddled together and held each other for warmth. They needed each other now more than ever.

The next morning they ate some various nuts and berries that the boys had collected earlier on in the week and then continued to run again. Brin ran a little bit on her own but once her legs gave out Sam had her hop on his back. They didn't talk much, they simply ran through the trees. The grounders were back now and they were getting closer and closer by the minute.

"We can't keep doing this." Zach panted, "We can't live like this"

Brin slid off of Sam's back, unable to hold on anymore. They were all so exhausted and there were just too many grounders to outrun. The group knew they were done. So everyone stopped and took a seat around Brin. Zach held hands with Brin, prompting Maddie to take her other hand, Sam took Maddie's hand and they gave up. When the grounders approached, the group closed their eyes and squeezed each other's hands tighter than ever. If they were going to die, they were going to die together.

Each of them felt the tranquilizers hit their skin and instantly became lightheaded, then came the explosion that deafened them, and finally the blue smoke that knocked them out cold. The last memory Zach had before passing out was Brin's hands falling limply out of his own.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long for me to publish, I've been busy lately and this was such an important chapter that changes the direction of the story I wanted to make sure I got it right. Thank you all so much for your reviews, they are my favorite part of writing this story! Also, thank you for all of the questions on Tumblr. They are all so great!**


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